2016–17 LBA season

The 2016–17 LBA season, was the 95th season of the Lega Basket Serie A (LBA), known for sponsorship reasons as the Serie A PosteMobile,[5] the highest-tier level professional basketball league in Italy. The regular season started on 2 October 2016 and finished on 7 May 2017, with the playoffs started on 12 May (dependent on an Italian club qualifying for the 2017 EuroLeague Final Four or for the 2017 Champions League Playoffs) and finished between 16 and 22 June depending on results.[6]

Serie A PosteMobile1
Season2016–17
Duration2 October 2016 – 20 June 2017
Number of games240 (Regular season)
24–41 (Playoffs)
Number of teams16
TV partner(s)RAI, Sky Italia[1]
Regular season
Top seedEA7 Emporio Armani Milano
Season MVPUnited States Marcus Landry
RelegatedVanoli Cremona
Finals
ChampionsUmana Reyer Venezia
(3rd title)
  Runners-upDolomiti Energia Trento
SemifinalistsEA7 Emporio Armani Milano
Sidigas Avellino
Finals MVPCanada Melvin Ejim[2]
Awards
Best Young PlayerItaly Diego Flaccadori
Statistical leaders
PointsUnited States Marcus Landry19.6
ReboundsNigeria O. D. Anosike11.1
AssistsItaly Luca Vitali7.1
Index RatingHungary Jarrod Jones22.6
Records
Biggest home winCapo d'Orlando 96–53 Cantù
(30 October 2016)
Biggest away winVanoli Cremona 59–78 Trento
(29 January 2017)
Highest scoringBrindisi 106–108 Reyer Venezia
(7 January 2017)
Winning streak10 games
EA7 Emporio Armani Milano
Losing streak7 games
Juvecaserta
Vanoli Cremona
Highest attendance11,146
EA7 Milano 93–79 Brescia
(12 February 2017)[3]
Average attendance3,863[4]
All statistics correct as of 29 June 2017.
1 Sponsored league name, referring to PosteMobile.

As in previous years, Molten Corporation provided the official ball for all matches.

EA7 Emporio Armani Milano were the defending champions.[7]

Umana Reyer Venezia won their 3rd title by beating Dolomiti Energia Trento in game 6 of the finals.[8]

Teams

Promotion and relegation (pre-season)

A total of 16 teams will contest the league, including 15 sides from the 2015–16 season and one promoted from the 2015–16 Serie A2.[9]

Germani Basket Brescia is the promoted club from the Serie A2 Citroën after beating Fortitudo Bologna at game 5 of league's playoffs, and returns in the highest-tier of the Italian basketball league system after 28 years of absence from Serie A.[10][11]

Brescia replaced Virtus Bologna who was relegated during the previous season.[12]

Number of teams by region

Number of teamsRegionTeam(s)
5  LombardyEA7 Emporio Armani Milano LBA
Germani Basket Brescia A2
Openjobmetis Varese
Red October Cantù
Vanoli Cremona
2  CampaniaJuvecaserta
Sidigas Avellino
1  ApuliaEnel Brindisi
 Emilia-RomagnaGrissin Bon Reggio Emilia
 MarcheConsultinvest Pesaro
 PiedmontFiat Torino
 SardiniaBanco di Sardegna Sassari
 SicilyBetaland Capo d'Orlando
 Trentino-Alto Adige/SüdtirolDolomiti Energia Trento
 TuscanyThe Flexx Pistoia
 VenetoUmana Reyer Venezia
Notes
^LBA 2015–16 LBA champion.
^A2 2015–16 Serie A2 champion.

Venues and locations

TeamHome cityArenaCapacity2015–16 season
Banco di Sardegna SassariSassariPalaSerradimigni5,000[13]Quarterfinals 2016 playoffs
Betaland Capo d'OrlandoCapo d'OrlandoPalaFantozzi3,508[14]13th in Serie A
Consultinvest PesaroPesaroAdriatic Arena6,119[15]12th in Serie A
Dolomiti Energia TrentoTrentoPalaTrento4,360[16]Quarterfinals 2016 playoffs
EA7 Emporio Armani MilanoMilanMediolanum Forum12,700[17]Serie A Champions
Enel BrindisiBrindisiPalaPentassuglia3,534[18]10th in Serie A
Fiat TorinoTurinPalaRuffini4,500[19]15th in Serie A
Germani Basket BresciaBresciaPalaGeorge[20]5,500[21]Serie A2 winner
Grissin Bon Reggio EmiliaReggio EmiliaLand Rover Arena
(Bologna)
5,570[22]Runners-up 2016 playoffs
PalaBigi4,600[23]
JuvecasertaCasertaPalaMaggiò6,387[24]14th in Serie A
Openjobmetis VareseVaresePalA2A5,100[25]9th in Serie A
Red October CantùCantùPalaBancoDesio[26] (Desio)6,700[27]11th in Serie A
Sidigas AvellinoAvellinoPalaDelMauro5,195[28]Semifinals 2016 playoffs
The Flexx PistoiaPistoiaPalaCarrara4,000[29]Quarterfinals 2016 playoffs
Umana Reyer VeneziaVeniceTaliercio3,506[30]Semifinals 2016 playoffs
Vanoli CremonaCremonaPalaRadi3,527[31]Quarterfinals 2016 playoffs

Personnel and sponsorship

TeamChairmanHead CoachCaptainKit manufacturerShirt sponsor
Banco di Sardegna Sassari Stefano Sardara Federico Pasquini Giacomo DevecchiEyesportwearBanco di Sardegna, Tirrenia Navigazione
Betaland Capo d'Orlando Roberto Enzo Sindoni Gennaro Di Carlo Sandro NicevićLegeaBetaland
Consultinvest Pesaro Ario Costa Spiro Leka Giulio GazzottiErreàConsultinvest, ButanGas1
Dolomiti Energia Trento Luigi Longhi Maurizio Buscaglia Andrés Pablo ForraySpaldingDolomiti Energia
EA7 Emporio Armani Milano Livio Proli Jasmin Repeša Andrea CinciariniArmaniEA7 Emporio Armani, BMW,1 Aon2
Enel Brindisi Fernando Marino Romeo Sacchetti Marco CardilloBitre SportEnel
Fiat Torino Antonio Forni Francesco Vitucci Giuseppe PoetaSpaldingFiat Automobiles
Germani Basket Brescia Graziella Bragaglio Andrea Diana David MossErreàGermani Trasporti, A2A
Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia Maria Licia Ferrarini Massimiliano Menetti Pietro AradoriSportikaGrissin Bon, Mapei1
Juvecaserta Raffaele Iavazzi Sandro Dell'Agnello Marco GiuriGivovaPasta Reggia, Fortune Investment & Co.
Openjobmetis Varese Stefano Coppa Attilio Caja Daniele CavalieroSpaldingOpenjobmetis, Teva
Red October Cantù Dmitry Gerasimenko Carlo Recalcati Craig CallahanMacronRed October, Intesa Sanpaolo1
Sidigas Avellino Giuseppe Sampietro Stefano Sacripanti Marques GreenJomaSidigas
The Flexx Pistoia Roberto Maltinti Vincenzo Esposito Michele AntonuttiErreàThe Flexx, Conad, Hitachi
Umana Reyer Venezia Luigi Brugnaro Walter De Raffaele Tomas RessErreàUmana
Vanoli Cremona Aldo Vanoli Paolo Lepore Fabio MianErreàVanoli Ferramenta
1. ^ On the back of shirt.
2. ^ On the shorts.

Managerial Changes

TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableReplaced withDate of appointment
Enel Brindisi Piero BucchiSigned with Consultinvest Pesaro24 April 2016[32]Pre-season Romeo Sacchetti5 May 2016[33]
Consultinvest Pesaro Riccardo PaoliniEnd of contract30 May 2016[34] Piero Bucchi1 June 2016[35]
Red October Cantù Sergei Bazarevich30 June 2016[36] Rimas Kurtinaitis2 August 2016[37]
Red October Cantù Rimas KurtinaitisResigned30 November 2016[38][39]14th (2–7) Kyrylo Bol'shakov (interim)1 November 2016[40]
Vanoli Cremona Cesare PancottoSacked13 December 2016[41]16th (2–9) Paolo Lepore13 December 2016[42]
Openjobmetis Varese Paolo MorettiSacked22 December 2016[43]14th (4–8) Attilio Caja23 December 2016[44]
Red October Cantù Kyrylo Bol'shakovEnd of interim spell27 February 2017[45]13th (7–13) Carlo Recalcati27 February 2017[46]
Consultinvest Pesaro Piero BucchiResigned7 March 2017[47]15th (7–14) Spiro Leka9 March 2017[48]

Changes from 2015–16

New League's Title Sponsor

From the end of the 2015–16 season, Lega Basket Serie A has a new sponsor. The Turkish brand Beko left Serie A after four years of sponsorship.Beko decided to focus just on their sponsorship of the Spanish football team Barcelona.[49]

In December 2016, took place in Rome the assembly of Lega Basket during which the president Egidio Bianchi has communicated to all the clubs to have reached the multi-year agreement with PosteMobile, an Italy-based mobile virtual network operator owned by Poste italiane Group, that will become the Title Sponsor of the LBA.[50][51]

Rules

Each team is allowed either five or seven foreign players under two formulas:

  1. 5 foreigners from countries outside the European Union
  2. 3 foreigners from countries outside the E.U., 4 foreigners from E.U. countries (also including those from countries signatory of the Cotonou Agreement)

Each club can choose the 5+5 formula, that consists of five Italian players and five foreign players, and the 3+4+5 formula, with five Italian players, three foreigners from countries outside the E.U. and four foreigners from E.U. countries or "Cotonou Countries".[52]

At the end of the season there will be a prize of €500,000 for the top three ranked teams, that had chosen the 5+5 formula, considering the playing time of Italian players, and €200,000 for those teams that will obtain the best results with their youth sector.[53]

Regular season

In the regular season, teams play against each other home-and-away in a round-robin format. The eight first qualified teams will advance to the Playoffs, the last seven qualified teams will be eliminated, while the last one qualified team will be relegated and replaced by the winner of the playoffs of the second-level Serie A2 Basket. The matchdays are from 2 October 2016 to 7 May 2017.

League table

PosTeamPldWLPFPAPDQualification or relegation
1EA7 Emporio Armani Milano3023725842384+200Qualification to playoffs
2Umana Reyer Venezia3021924472330+117
3Sidigas Avellino30191123922285+107
4Dolomiti Energia Trento30181223522201+151
5Banco di Sardegna Sassari30171323012218+83
6Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia30171324582443+15
7The Flexx Pistoia30151523062298+8
8Betaland Capo d'Orlando30151522912315−24
9Enel Brindisi30141624952465+30
10Germani Basket Brescia30131723602453−93
11Fiat Torino30131724552551−96
12Openjobmetis Varese30131723192402−83
13JuveCaserta30121823372430−93
14Red October Cantù30111923352476−141
15Consultinvest Pesaro30102022852420−135
16Vanoli Cremona (R)3092123702416−46Relegation to Serie A2
Source: LBA
(R) Relegated

Results

Home \ AwaySASORLPESTREEA7BRITORBREREGCASVARCTUAVEPISVENCRE
Banco di Sardegna Sassari74–6486–5969–6675–8279–7896–6496–7382–7295–7778–7280–6570–7581–7585–8982–83
Betaland Capo d'Orlando72–6598–8863–7165–7186–8290–7771–6759–6274–7176–7196–5368–7679–6490–8279–76
Consultinvest Pesaro76–7170–6873–7890–7996–10265–6676–6381–9183–6783–8778–7355–6057–5984–7863–73
Dolomiti Energia Trento57–6685–7697–9174–9284–4870–7499–5980–8476–6684–6868–7777–7599–9165–5790–77
EA7 Emporio Armani Milano86–7790–7488–8476–9899–8681–7493–7999–79100–8079–7189–7187–81104–7088–8086–78
Enel Brindisi76–6187–7593–9469–6170–6887–7983–9178–82100–7280–5890–8294–7486–85106–10894–82
Fiat Torino79–8791–9283–7976–6797–10090–8886–9185–7380–7789–7687–7684–7991–9590–9385–82
Germani Basket Brescia56–4889–9099–6874–8080–9781–9196–8993–8864–6278–8776–5691–8797–7979–8495–66
Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia86–8080–7087–8075–8791–8798–8491–80103–7085–8673–6890–7789–9077–6885–7966–83
Juvecaserta77–7091–8682–8784–6774–7886–8283–7689–8378–7580–8679–8582–8674–6558–6179–75
Openjobmetis Varese76–8374–7293–7883–8082–9891–8179–8668–7481–7193–7482–9277–7975–7060–7378–75
Red October Cantù90–6973–7977–6877–9179–8583–7777–8981–6598–8382–8372–8575–7473–7192–9972–71
Sidigas Avellino77–6594–6579–6279–6980–6876–7386–8392–7981–8679–7575–8292–8683–6778–8085–78
The Flexx Pistoia68–6975–5987–8384–7885–7489–8189–7386–6285–7177–6497–6494–8767–5971–7864–59
Umana Reyer Venezia71–8484–6985–6159–7688–8486–6589–7078–7073–7498–9287–8193–7278–7574–6281–73
Vanoli Cremona77–7882–8671–7359–7872–7669–84117–8280–86101–9182–9585–7193–8273–8687–6791–82
Source: LBA
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Positions by round

The table lists the positions of teams after completion of each round.

Team \ Round123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930
EA7 Emporio Armani Milano421111111111111111111111111111
Umana Reyer Venezia617678554332222222332222222222
Sidigas Avellino835422333444433333223333333333
Dolomiti Energia Trento1472346111211121311111313111211644654466564
Banco di Sardegna Sassari5106854678889876546465566744445
Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia1084533222223344474557877555656
The Flexx Pistoia1612131391015912911109999119799111110888777
Betaland Capo d'Orlando131591489766766755755876445677898
Enel Brindisi3111615117887677568129121011109889109989
Germani Basket Brescia15141116161612111011101212107810898810101212910101110
Fiat Torino99109131110109109810111110610111011799101111111211
Openjobmetis Varese1241410101391313141414141416161415161614141313111212121012
Juvecaserta71332654455556810687121212131414141414141413
Red October Cantù11161271212141414131213131212131313131313121211131313131314
Consultinvest Pesaro2515111414131516151515151514141514141415151515161515151515
Vanoli Cremona168121515161615161616161615151616151516161616151616161616

Updated to games played on 7 May 2017
Source: LBA

Leader of the Regular Season
Qualification to Playoffs
Relegation to Serie A2

Playoffs

The LBA playoffs quarterfinals are best-of-five, while the semifinals and finals series are best-of-seven. The playoffs will start on 12 May 2017 to finish between 16 and 22 June depending on result.

Quarter-finalsSemifinalsFinal
         
1EA7 Emporio Armani Milano3
8Betaland Capo d'Orlando1
1EA7 Emporio Armani Milano1
4Dolomiti Energia Trento4
4Dolomiti Energia Trento3
5Banco di Sardegna Sassari0
4Dolomiti Energia Trento2
2Umana Reyer Venezia4
2Umana Reyer Venezia3
7The Flexx Pistoia1
2Umana Reyer Venezia4
3Sidigas Avellino2
3Sidigas Avellino3
6Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia0

Final standings

PosTeamPldWLPFPAPDQualification or relegation
1Umana Reyer Venezia (C, O)46321424472330+117Qualification to Champions League group stage
2Dolomiti Energia Trento44271723522201+151Qualification to EuroCup
3EA7 Emporio Armani Milano39271225842384+200Qualification to EuroLeague
4Sidigas Avellino39241523922285+107Qualification to Champions League group stage
5Banco di Sardegna Sassari33171623012218+83
6Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia33171624582443+15Qualification to EuroCup
7The Flexx Pistoia[a]34161823062298+8
8Betaland Capo d'Orlando34161822912315−24Qualification to Champions League qualifying rounds
9Enel Brindisi30141624952465+30
10Germani Basket Brescia30131723602453−93
11Fiat Torino30131724552551−96Qualification to EuroCup
12Openjobmetis Varese30131723192402−83
13Juvecaserta30121823372430−93
14Red October Cantù30111923352476−141
15Consultinvest Pesaro30102022852420−135
16Vanoli Cremona (R)3092123702416−46Relegation to Serie A2 Basket
Source: LBA
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (R) Relegated
Notes:

Individual statistics

As of 7 May 2017.[54]

Individual game highs

CategoryPlayerTeamStatistic
PIR JaJuan JohnsonRed October Cantù46
Terran PettewayThe Flexx Pistoia
Points Terran PettewayThe Flexx Pistoia
43
Rebounds O. D. AnosikeOpenjobmetis Varese
21
Assists Luca VitaliGermani Basket Brescia
18
Blocks Norvel PelleOpenjobmetis Varese
7
Three pointers Terran PettewayThe Flexx Pistoia
10

Updated: 16 May 2017. Source: LBA

Awards

Best Player Under 22

Best Coach

Best Executive

Round MVP

RoundPlayerTeamPIRRef
1 Stefano TonutUmana Reyer Venezia35[60]
2 D. J. WhiteFiat Torino35[61]
3 Retin ObasohanSidigas Avellino28[62]
4 D. J. White (2)Fiat Torino28[63]
5 Pietro AradoriGrissin Bon Reggio Emilia35[64]
6 Bruno FitipaldoBetaland Capo d'Orlando44[65]
7 Deron WashingtonFiat Torino32[66]
8 Terran PettewayThe Flexx Pistoia46[67]
9 Tu HollowayVanoli Cremona42[68]
10 Edgar SosaJuvecaserta33[69]
11 JaJuan JohnsonRed October Cantù46[70]
12 David LightyDolomiti Energia Trento36[71]
13 Pietro Aradori (2)Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia25[72]
14 Tashawn ThomasVanoli Cremona35[73]
15 Krunoslav SimonEA7 Emporio Armani Milano34[74]
16 Rok StipčevićBanco di Sardegna Sassari29[75]
Hrvoje PerićUmana Reyer Venezia
17 Kyrylo FesenkoSidigas Avellino36[76]
18 Achille PolonaraGrissin Bon Reggio Emilia32[77]
19 Nic MooreEnel Brindisi25[78]
Nathan BootheThe Flexx Pistoia
20 Marcus LandryGermani Basket Brescia32[79]
21 Jamel McLeanEA7 Emporio Armani Milano29[80]
JaJuan Johnson (2)Red October Cantù
22 JaJuan Johnson (3)Red October Cantù39[81]
23 Dominique SuttonDolomiti Energia Trento26[82]
Dominique JohnsonOpenjobmetis Varese
24 Trevor LaceyBanco di Sardegna Sassari30[83]
25 Ronald MooreThe Flexx Pistoia36[84]
26 Rotnei ClarkeConsultinvest Pesaro43[85]
27 JaJuan Johnson (4)Red October Cantù34[86]
28 Mitchell WattJuvecaserta39[87]
29 Jarrod JonesConsultinvest Pesaro36[88]
30 Mitchell Watt (2)Juvecaserta31[89]
Dominique SuttonDolomiti Energia Trento

Serie A clubs in European competitions

TeamCompetitionProgressRef
EA7 Emporio Armani MilanoEuroLeagueRegular season
Banco di Sardegna SassariBasketball Champions LeagueQuarter-finals
Openjobmetis VareseRegular season
Sidigas AvellinoRound of 16
Umana Reyer VeneziaSemi-finals

Source: EuroLeague Champions League

Supercup

The 2016 Italian Supercup was the 22nd edition of the super cup tournament of the Italian basketball. It opened the season on 24 and 25 September 2016. It was contested in Milan's Mediolanum Forum.[93]

Qualified for the tournament were league winners and cup winners EA7 Emporio Armani Milano, cup finalists Sidigas Avellino, cup semifinalists Vanoli Cremona and league finalist Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia.[94]

EA7 Emporio Armani Milano lifted the Supercup trophy by downing Sidigas Avellino 72-90. Krunoslav Simon led the winners with 25 points on 5-of-7 three-point shots. Ricky Hickman added 15 while Zoran Dragić had 11 for Milan. Hickman had 9 points in the second quarter to make Milan get a double-digit lead, 34-44, at halftime. Dragić, Simon and Davide Pascolo allowed Milan to extend their margin to 51-67 after 30 minutes, enough to control the game until the final buzzer and lift its first Supercup trophy.[95]

Cup

The 49th edition of the Italian Cup, knows as the PosteMobile Final Eight for sponsorship reasons,[96] was contested between 16 and 19 February 2017 in Rimini.[97][98] Eight teams qualified for the Final Eight were the best ranked teams at the end of the first stage of the 2016–17 Serie A season.

EA7 Emporio Armani Milano rallied to beat Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia 84-87 and reach the finals.[99] In Sunday's final, Milan will play Banco di Sardegna Sassari which downed Germani Basket Brescia 77-70.[100]

EA7 Emporio Armani Milano successfully defended the Italian Cup with an 84-74 come-from-behind win over Banco di Sardegna Sassari in the final on Sunday. Ricky Hickman made 5 of 7 shots from downtown en route to 25 points, Rakim Sanders scored 15 points and Milan Mačvan added 11 for the winners. Sassari took charge from the start with a 2-13 run and led 11-19 after 10 minutes. A Josh Carter triple made it 15-25 midway through the second quarter, but Sanders heated up as Milan fought back and Hickman's triple to end the half drew Milan within 34-36. A three by Sanders to open the second half gave Milan its first lead. Hickman netted another three and Davide Pascolo converted a three-point play to boost the margin to 46-40. Andrea Cinciarini further extended the margin to 9 before strong play by Gani Lawal sparked a Sassari comeback. A David Bell jumper made it 56-54 through three quarters. It was still a 2-point game four minutes into the fourth quarter when Hickman and Macvan combined for all Milan's points in an 11-2 march to take a 75-64 advantage with 3:38 remaining. Sassari raced back with 8 straight points, but was held to a single basket over the final two minutes as Milan closed out the game from the line. Trevor Lacey paced Sassari with 15 points, Lawal scored 13 and Rok Stipčević 11.[101]

Ricky Hickman was named Finals MVP of the competition.[102]

References